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[Editor’s Note: Mark Smith is the owner and director of photography for Oh Seven Films, the production company he started in 2001. In this exclusive guest column he talks about the documentaries he's made about the search for Amelia Earhart.]

Over the years, my company has been involved in productions that span the gamut, from creating ads and television programs to documentaries and indie feature films. Though there’s certainly a lot of variety in our work, we focus heavily on documentary projects. For example, for the past 17 years, I’ve been the documentarian for TIGHAR (The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery) on an ongoing project to discover what happened to pilot Amelia Earhart — work that has resulted in a couple of Discovery Channel programs.

Moviehouse and Eatery, a Texas exhibitor whose theatres feature wall-to-wall screens, plush recliners and a full-service kitchen and bar with a chef-prepared menu, had a challenge: they wanted to build a social media presence to harness their existing clients’ experience and leverage the engagement to further their overall marketing efforts. In May 2015 M&E engaged Social Flash Media, a local Austin, Texas company to dramatically improve their social presence by way of their existing clientele. SFM has created what the company says is the first unattended marketing social photo station powering a diverse social marketing pipeline.

Barco Escape has suspended operations effective immediately, Digital Cinema Report has learned exclusively. Barco Escape was installed in thirty-one theatres around the world and there were several studios ready to commit to projects when the decision was made.

Digital Cinema Report recently teamed up with global cinema software leader Arts Alliance Media to ask exhibitors around the world how they see their businesses evolving over the next five years. We especially wanted to know their thoughts on technology, both what they’re using today and what they plan to use in the future. I sat down with John Aalbers, CEO of AAM to discuss the survey results.

If the Hollywood studios want to thrive in the era of Google, Amazon, and Netflix, they are going to have to think differently about communicating with their customers. In order to do that, they are going to have to make gathering and analyzing data on customers a priority. Consider the instructive story of how Steve Jobs revived Apple and transformed it into one of the most successful businesses in the world. The story in general is well known, but we’d like to focus on one aspect of it that gets less attention than it should: how Apple used connections with customers and data on customers to turn itself around.

Renowned sound designer and feature film supervising sound editor Scott Gershin has worked on more than100 films and received 26 industry nominations, including a BAFTA Award for his work on American Beauty, Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, and Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler. He brings theatrical sound quality standards to bear on a wide range of consumer experiences, from apps and software, to blockbuster gaming titles like Resident Evil, Gears of War, Fable, and most recently id Software’s Doom. Gershin recently joined Technicolor as its director of sound editorial, where he leads the company’s expansion into sound design for gaming and immersive experiences and also continues to design and supervise sound for films. Digital Cinema Report recently spoke with Gershin about his career, the transformative role of technology in his work, and the tools he can’t do without for current projects.

The cinema has been the genesis of audio and imaging innovation that drives new, spectacular, and captivating experiences to moviegoers. For more than 50 years, Dolby has been, and continues to be, at the forefront of these efforts to advance the science of sight and sound that lead to unforgettable entertainment experiences. Dolby began its journey in delivering superlative audio experiences with the introduction of Dolby Stereo with Star Wars in 1977. Fifteen years later, with the release of Batman Returns, Dolby Digital ushered in a next-generation multichannel surround sound experience that became the de facto standard for movies, television, gaming, and more. We have always believed, and the industry has demonstrated, that sound is every bit as vital to the patron’s experience as image. Our ability to deliver an improved experience and draw audiences deeper into a story by enabling them to hear the whole picture is what solidifies their desire for a theatrical experience time and time again.

As was widely reported earlier this week, Dolby Laboratories has completed its acquisition of Doremi Labs. According to the announcement, the deal advances Dolby's mission to improve the cinema experience, enable new forms of storytelling, and accelerate the delivery and deployment of innovative solutions to exhibitors. I spoke exclusively with Doug Darrow, Dolby’s senior vice president, cinema, to better understand what this deal means.

Last September, International Datacasting announced that DSAT Cinema had committed to buy more than 1,000 of its SuperFlex Pro Video Receivers. Since its inception last year, DSAT Cinema, the Eutelsat and dcinex joint venture has used IDC’s technology to deliver more than 300 films and 50 live broadcasts, from iconic locations that include the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre and the Royal Opera House in London. The companies described their relationship as an alliance and a partnership. Digital Cinema Report recently spoke with Walter Capitani, International Datacasting’s vice president of marketing to get an update on the progress they’ve made to date.

In its hundredth year, Indian cinema looks young, fit and with it. To understand this, all you have to do is watch Kai Po Che, Vicky Donor or Peepli Live in Hindi. Or watch any other small or medium budget successful film in an Indian language of your choice. Take Kai Po Che for example.